If a ball is rolling across a frictionless horizontal table (infinitely long), will gravity affect its speed?
explain...
2007-05-20 11:49:46 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
If it is horizontal, then no height is gained or lost. Therefore gravity has no influence, unless the center of gravity of the ball is not at the perfect center (otherwise the ball would periodically and repeatedly speed up and slow down)
2007-05-20 11:54:38 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It totally depends upon your definition of horizontal. If you mean that the table is literally horizontal everywhere, then the surface of the table actually follows the curvature of the earth and the answer is that no, gravity does not affect the ball.
However, if you mean that the table is horizontal only at one location and is a straight plane, then yes, gravity will effect the ball because as the earth curve, the table keeps going in a straight line and its surface gets further from the surface of the earth. So gravity would tend to slow the ball down and cause it to roll back to the starting point.
2007-05-20 19:00:04 · answer #2 · answered by William D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the table is infinently long, the curviture of the Earth would start to come into effect and the ball would start to slow down as it gets higher.
Unless you mean horizontal as in with the curve, then gravity wouldn't effect it. (There would be an almost neglegable effect of gravity from other planets/moons/sun, but it would take a huge amount of time for that to do anything)
2007-05-20 18:57:56 · answer #3 · answered by chess2226 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since we're talking about a frictionless table here, I'm guessing we're ignoring air resistance as well.
But if we're not, the more gravity there is, the greater the air pressure will be, and hence the greater it will slow the ball.
2007-05-20 18:56:21 · answer #4 · answered by Roland A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope.
Gravity pulls straight down and only effects speed on a slant...the normal force of the ball is equal to the gravitational pull so there is no effect.
2007-05-20 18:53:23 · answer #5 · answered by pat_k_green 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The only thing that will affect its speed is a force (or a component of a force) in the direction of travel.
Doug
2007-05-20 18:57:06 · answer #6 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since there is no friction, gravity will not affect it since gravity pulls downward.
2007-05-20 18:54:26 · answer #7 · answered by mr.quark 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no gravity doesnt affect horizontal only vertical movement
2007-05-21 11:50:32 · answer #8 · answered by james01gr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this ball in a vaccuum, becasue you do have air pressure to worry about. If the ball is in a vaccuum then no, if the ball is not in a vaccuum then yes..
2007-05-20 19:03:05 · answer #9 · answered by Stop the Stupidity 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋